My jaw has been swelling since Tuesday..dentist office is closed for the week, but I found some bactrim at my mom's and a friend brought me some ketoprofen, which helps with the pain. Today I finally caved and called my dentist at home, but he was out of town. He called me back tonight and said that what I was taking was alright, but if I needed something else tomorrow, he would try to find a pharmacy open. It's always something!
My brother went to lunch with our cousin, who is a doctor today. Finally, someone could convince him to go get an MRI....in fact, he called from the restaurant and set up an MRI for my brother today. Results showed stenosis in his back, a cyst in or on his spinal column, and a spot on his kidney. Cousin is setting him up with a neurologist as soon as possible to see about his back and our cousin will check out his kidney, since he is a urologist. He has been in such pain for such a long time. I am so glad our cousin made him do something! He's already worried about not being able to help much with Mom if (when) he has to have surgery. I just want him to feel better. I can take care of Mom....well, me and the rehab!
8 weeks since the stroke....7 weeks of therapy completed. Still tiny progress. One of the aides told me she heard mom crying today and went to see about her. She had wet her clothes because the aides that put her down to rest didn't take her to the bathroom first. Don't know why...they are usually very good at that. Mom has yet to push the button for help. We can't make her do it. The aides and my brother and I all told her that it was not her fault and she should not worry about it. First Christmas Eve in many, many years that we did not spend it with our friends. The friends came to see Mom today, but tonight my brother and I went to be with her in her room. Thanksgiving in the hospital and Christmas in the rehab center! Maybe next year! Merry Christmas everyone! I still have much to be grateful for and am happy to spend another Christmas with my mom...no matter where it is! Tomorrow we are bringing her here to my house for a Christmas lunch. I am ready! I think I need to straighten out the table cloth! :)
I spent most of the day crying because something was wrong with Mom and neither I nor any one else there could figure out what was wrong. She cried and I cried. After about 3 hours, I left for a little while and called my brother. The aide told me she went to sleep after I left. I stayed gone a couple of hours, but my brother went to see about her. She was sleeping when he got there. All was well when she woke up, except that she was all wet with sweat from a low blood sugar. Once we got that regulated, she was fine. We both left tonight never knowing what was wrong. When I got there this evening, my brother was in conference with the directors of nursing. He had a run-in with one of the aides last night that was in no hurry to get in there and help the other (very pregnant) aide help Mom go to the bathroom. The helpful aide was not even Mom's designated aide...the other lazy assed one was and my brother had a few words to say to her about not getting in there to help the other aide. My brother doesn't get angry much, but he was mad as hell last night. He told the directors that he didn't want that aide back in his mother's room and he also didn't want any retaliation for his going off on her. He is afraid she will take it out on Mom. She is the only lazy, disagreeable person we have encountered. Whew! I need to go to bed!
I was supposed to have the day off to take care of things around my house...like leaves! My brother was coming to be with Mom at the noon meal, but he called at 12 and said he was on his way when he got a fire call. As volunteer Fire Chief, he needed to go, since he couldn't find another fireman. I hurried up to help Mom with lunch and when I got there, her sister was there helping her. I was a mess because leaves are dirty. I hadn't even washed my face today, but I went on. The speech therapist came by and said she did really well today and could say "Merry Christmas" very clearly. She did say it for us several times and even said my name for the first time....and my brother's name. Yesterday, when I went there at 5, she was sitting in the wheelchair and said to me very clearly as I walked in the door, "This is mama!"
They had her dressed like a clown today! She likes to match and we had a beautiful new light velour outfit there with a zip up top. We intended for them to put the top on as a shirt. They had another non-matching shirt under the zip up jacket. I went right out and bought a shirt that would match to go with that outfit. I don't want to get there and find her dressed like a clown again!
Look at these leaves! NONE of them are mine! They all blow in my yard and swirl up against my house and stay there. I get to suck them all up with my blower/vac. Not an easy chore!
Second week in this rehab is completed. She is showing some tiny advancements and saying a few more things more clearly, but they are mostly things she doesn't have to think about. I tried to get her to learn to say Stewart, my brother's name, before he came back from Branson. She actually said it pretty good for him, but only copying what we tell her to say. I have been reading up on a concept called Earthing that I was told about by a friend. It basically just uses a pad connected to the ground part of a plug that the user places his/her feet on barefooted while sitting. I ordered one for her. I already bought a bed sheet for me that is grounded and already feel a bit more energized after 3 nights of sleeping on it. Here is the website. I have read the book that came with mine and I am quite impressed. It certainly can't hurt anything. We have disconnected ourselves from the healing properties of the Earth by wearing shoes all the time. Who knows....this might help her re-connect those broken connections in her brain!
Today is the end of her first week in rehab. We believe she is making progress, but it is hard to see because it is just baby steps. She is trying really hard and still tries really hard to tell me something. I see her twice a day, so I guess it would be hard for me to discern the subtle changes. My brother is leaving tomorrow to go to Branson. He goes every year at this time. Last year Mom went in the hospital from her blood being dangerously thin on the day he left. She got out of the hospital on the day he returned. This year she can't even talk to him on the phone. I know it will be hard for him to leave, but he needs the break. He will call me every day at least once. That boy loves his mama.
Yesterday she got moved to a rehab facility. I was not happy with it yesterday for many reasons, but today was better. I think they are going to take care of her, but yesterday I wasn't so sure. When I got there today, they had her up in a wheelchair, she had had a bath, and her bed was made and changed. She had already seen the weekend therapist. I talked with the therapist and I am feeling better now. Next week she will get evaluated by all the therapists and get her hair did~! She is happy about that!
My sister-in-law and brother brought Thanksgiving to the hospital today. They brought dressing, corn, green beans, fruit salad and a coconut pie. Mom enjoyed it and we fed the two nurses on duty. There are 5 patients there now, but Mom is leaving tomorrow to a new facility. I still have not been to look at the new place, but by all accounts, it is a lovely rehab center. She got frustrated today trying to talk to me, but I told her it's ok. I asked her if she was going to give up when she gets frustrated and she emphatically said, "NO!" She can say a few words.
Mom's doctor came by tonight while we were helping her with dinner. He thinks she will get her movement back and her speech back in due time. It will be slow and there are no guarantees, but he is optimistic. I told her that her assignment was to be able to tell me Happy Birthday tomorrow! What a great birthday present that would be! She will be moved to another rehab facility on Friday. It is a brand new facility associated with a local nursing home. Her speech therapist at the hospital highly recommends the speech therapist at that facility, which is why we chose it. She said Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists procedures are about the same, but speech is different and this therapist works really hard with her patients. Her bowels and bladder have to be re-trained as well, but one has to be able to walk to go to the bathroom......AND they have a beauty shop at this facility. She will be happy to get her hair done. It has been being washed in rehab, but not styled.
For the first time, I am encouraged. Today Mom had a swallow test and had improved enough to get off that pureed food and move to a soft modified diet. Her eyes have also readjusted to prestroke levels so her glasses actually are working now. She looked at a magazine tonight and looked at all her cards. She also walked 12 feet today with lots of help. They are helping her move her right leg, but that is re-training her brain connections.Still no talking, but she is trying to move her right arm with limited success.
I took Echinacea with Goldenseal and it knocked my cold almost completely out! My brother has it worse now, but he is taking it as well. I made Mom some real mashed potatoes and gravy with real butter and cream. She ate it with a smile on her face. She is sick to death of their pureed no taste stuff. She still has some swallowing issues, but she seemed to swallow better when it was something she liked! :) Tomorrow the other two patients on the rehab floor are moving to the next level, so unless they get new patients, she will be the only one, and she will have her own personal R.N. I keep hearing stories of people who came back from strokes and it gives me hope. Keep those stories coming.
I did not see Mom today because I am sick with a cold, but my brother was pretty excited to see her very alert and he even saw her move her right arm. He said she talked up a storm, but, he didn't know what she was talking about. I hope that will come back. They say that stroke victims heal from the bottom up, so speech would be among the last thing to return if it is going to. I'm going tomorrow. I won't get close to her, but I have to see her.
Today was a total set back. Mom wouldn't or couldn't eat any lunch for me. The speech therapist was there and she told me Mom was holding food in her mouth and not swallowing. Her brain is not getting the message to her throat to swallow. Without much to eat (such as it is...pureed, no salt diet) they put her back to bed to rest. This evening when we went back, I took her part of a smoothie that I had made for her. She drank it right down, but when we tried to get some dinner in her, it came back up. The nurse got something for nausea and once again they put her to bed. She is very pale and lethargic. So...tonight, I am once again afraid for my mom. I just want her back!
I am feeling slightly encouraged this evening. Several people have told me stories of their own parents who had strokes just like this (all the same parts affected) and they came back...not ever completely, but functional and talking. Also, at lunch today and dinner tonight, Mom was able to use her left hand and get the food to her mouth after we put the food in the spoon. Still no use of the right arm and hand, but the doc said she does have good reflexes in the arm..also, I was told that when the brain is healing itself, the body is very sleepy, which explains why she is so sleepy. I will take whatever I can get in the way of encouragement! Also, learned that after a stroke, healing takes place from the bottom up, which explains why she can move her right leg now.
Mom was moved to rehab from ICU on Friday and we can see a few basic improvements. We just hope for more. More than anything, I would love to see her be able to talk again so I would know what she needs. The droopiness is gone from her face and her smile is back. I just wish she had something to smile about. That doesn't stop her; she smiles anyway. What an awesome woman and mother she is.
Mom was moved to rehab from ICU on Friday and we can see a few basic improvements. We just hope for more. More than anything, I would love to see her be able to talk again so I would know what she needs. The droopiness is gone from her face and her smile is back. I just wish she had something to smile about. That doesn't stop her; she smiles anyway. What an awesome woman and mother she is.
